Attachment of a leader to a metallic strip



Sept. 7, 1965 J. F. MILLER- ATTACHMENT OF A LEADER TO A METALLIC STRIPFiled Sept. 10, 1962 FIG. I

INVENTOR. James E Miller Agent United States Patent 3,205,050 ATTACHMENTOF A LEADER TO A METALLIC STRH James F. Miller, Summit, NJ assignor toTitanium Metals Corporation of America, New York, N.Y., a corporation ofDelaware Filed Sept. '10, I962, Ser. No. 222,414

, 2Clairns. ((31.29-180) This invention relates to the art of metalstrip rolling and in particular to the attachment of a leader to a metalstrip to improve handling of the strip during rolling operations.

In metal strip rolling operations it is desirable, particularly whencold rolling, to attach a so-called tail strip or leader to the heavypreviously hot-rolled metal strip. The leader serves two purposes.First, the leader, most often being of lighter gauge, is easier tothread through the mill and attach to the winding reel as on a reversingcold strip mill. Second, the length of the original strip that wouldnormally be required to reach from the bite of the mill to the windingreel would ordinarily not be rolled and would therefore be lost. Use ofa leader permits rolling substantially to the end of the strip, thussaving for ultimate use the length replaced by the leader. In the caseof relatively expensive materials such as, for example, titanium,zirconium or highly alloyed steels, it is desirable to use a leader ofsomewhat cheaper material such as ordinary stainless steel or carbonsteel. It is difiicult and expensive, however, to weld at least some ofthe refractory and reactive metals to carbon or stainless steel, andsome type of mechanical attachment or joint between the end of the metalstrip and the leader would be extremely desirable.

It is therefore a principal object of this invention to provide animproved attachment for joining a leader to the end of a metal strip.Another object of this invention is to provide an attachment for joininga leader to a metal strip which does not require welding of the stripmetal directly to the leader. Another object of this invention is toprovide a strong yet simple attachment for joining a leader to the endof a metal strip. These and other objects of this invention will beapparent from the following description thereof, and from the annexeddrawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows the end of a metal strip, the attachment piece and the endof a leader before joining.

FIG. 2 shows the attachment piece joined to both the end of the metalstrip and to the leader.

FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of the attachment of FIG. 2 taken alongthe line 3-3.

Referring now to FIG. 1, the end of a metal strip is shown at and theend of a suitable leader is shown at 12. The attachment piece 14 isfabricated preferably of metal of similar width and thickness as theleader 12, it may advantageously be of thinner gauge metal than strip10. One end of attachment piece 14 is sheared square as at 16 so that itmay be butted evenly with a similar squared end 18 of leader 12. Theother end of attachment piece 14 is cut to form a plurality of elongatedtruncate tongues 20 which are preferably tapered toward their free ends21.

Near the end of strip 10 are punched, burned, machined or otherwiseformed, a series of transverse spaced slots 22, spaced from the end ofstrip 10 a distance less than one-half the length of tongues 20, andpreferably aligned longitudinally in a row as shown.

Reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 will make clear the joining of leader 12 tostrip 10 by means of attachment piece 14. The edge 16 of attachmentpiece 14 is securely fastened to edge 18 of leader 12 as by welding at24. Each of the free ends 21 of tongues 20 is passed through one ofslots 22 and is retroflected and welded to the body of tongue 20 as at25.

When in operation, the attachment of leader 12 to strip 10 can berapidly and effectively accomplished. When the joining operation isintegrated with continuous rolling, a welding device which will movewith the leader and strip as they travel, may advantageously be used. Itwill be found convenient to first bend up the free end portions oftongues 20 at approximately right angles to the plane of the attachmentpiece 14 and to slip these upstanding ends through slots 22 in metalstrip 10 and subsequently to bend down the end portions of tongues 20 byhammering or pressing to put them in the desired retroflected positionbefore welding the free end 21 as at 26.

The attachment as described is strong and effective to join the leader12. to the metal strip 10. When desired to separate or detach the leader12 from strip 10, the weld at 24- may be sheared and the attachmentpiece 14 sheared along the welds 26. The leader 12 may then be re-usedand the body section of attachment piece 14 discarded as well as thesheared portions of tongues 20 which, after destruction of the weld 26,may readily be slipped out of slots 22.

The number and individual length of slots 22 in strip 10, and thecorresponding number and dimensions of tongues 26 on attachment piece 14will be determined by the width of the attachment piece and the strengthrequired to withstand rolling tension in the mill or in otheroperations.

A plurality of slots is necessary to properly distribute the pullingforces to prevent tearing of the strip; at least two, and preferably aminimum of three or four slots (and tongues) being preferred even fornarrow strip. It will be appreciated that the slots will be adequatelyspaced end to end to provide suflicient strength in the remaining areaof strip metal.

The attachment of this invention is strong, simple and effective. Testshave shown that the tongue and slot joint will hold under tension, andthat, when pulled to destruction, final breaking of the attachment willmost often occur at a line across the attachment piece between thetongue welds and the line where the tongues join the body of theattachment piece.

I claim:

1. An attachment for joining a leader to a metal strip comprising; anattachment strip of width and thickness similar to that of said leader,said attachment strip having one end thereof welded to an end of saidleader, the other end of said attachment strip being notched to form aplurality of elongated tongues tapered toward their free ends extendinglongitudinally therefrom, the free end of each of said tongues beingpassed through a transverse slot in said metal strip which is spacedfrom an end of said strip a distance less than one-half the length ofsaid tongue, and each of said tongues being retroflected with its freeend welded to its body.

2. An attachment for joining a leader to a metal strip comprising; anattachment strip of width and thickness 3 4 similar to that of saidleader, said attachment strip having tongues being retroflected with itsfree end welded to one end thereof Welded to an end of said leader, theother its body. end of said attachment strip being notched to form aplu- References Cited y the Examine! rality of elongated tongues taperedtoward their free ends UNITED STATES PATENTS extending longitudinallytherefrom, the free end of each 5 797,179 8/05 Couch 24 227 of saidtongues being passed through one of a row of 943,264 12/09 Niadringhaus29 180 X longitudinally aligned transverse slots in said metal stripwhich is spaced from an end of said strip a distance less DAVID RECKPrimary Examl'lerthan one-half the length of said tongue, and each ofsaid HYLAND BIZOT, E a i

1. AN ATTACHMENT FOR JOINING A LEADER TO A METAL STRIP COMPRISING; ANATTACHMENT STRIP OF WIDTH AND THICKNESS SIMILAR TO THAT OF SAID LEADER,SAID ATTACHMENT STRIP HAVING ONE END THEREOF WELDED TO AN END OF SAIDLEADER, THE OTHER END OF SAID ATTACHMENT STRIP BEING NOTCHED TO FORM APLURALITY OF ELONGATED TONGUES TAPERED TOWARD THEIR FREE ENDS EXTENDINGLONGITUDINALLY THEREFROM, THE FREE END OF EACH OF SAID TONGUES BEINGPASSED THROUGH A TRANSVERSE SLOT IN SAID METAL STRIP WHICH IS SPACEDFROM AN END OF SAID STRIP A DISTANCE LESS THAN ONE-HALF THE LENGTH OFSAID TONGUE, AND EACH OF SAID TONGUES BEING RETROFLECTED WITH ITS FREEEND WELDED TO ITS BODY.